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Laurel District MacArthur Boulevard Conceptual Design
Oakland, California
City of Oakland
Lead Consultant
1999
CD+A was responsible for the conceptual streetscape design to be used by the City of Oakland to begin improving a portion of this major urban arterial street. The design was also used to pursue additional funding through a Transportation for Livable Communities Grant. The design was completed for the City of Oakland on behalf of the neighborhood group, Laurel Community Action Project. CD+A’s design efforts focused on creating an identifiable character for this neighborhood commercial street by improving the pedestrian experience, creating a more transit-positive environment, and “informing” the motorist that the street is to be shared. The improvements included traffic calming devices, attractive landscaping, and bulb-outs at intersections for improved pedestrian crossing and as locations for amenities such as outdoor seating and bicycle racks. Many of the design elements were selected specifically to allow the incremental development of the streetscape and to allow flexibility over time in order to address land use changes as the area continues to revitalize. For example, the crape myrtles that were selected as street trees could initially be planted in pots to allow later planting in the ground as land uses mature.
The City eventually received their grant from the Metropolitan Transportation Commission, and improvements were completed in September of 2004.
